Air-compressor.



G. N. WILKINSON n F. M. HAMILTUN.

AIR COMPRESSOR.

APPLIoATron FILED 11111.22, ma.

1,100,109. Patent-,ed June 16,1914

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AIB. COMPRESSOR.

APPLIOATION PII-BD IAB.. 22, 1913.

G. N. WILKINSON n I'. M. HAMILTON.

l I I lf/T/vEssEs.

UNITED sTATnsrnrEN'r OFFICE. y

GLENN N. WILKINSON AND FREDM. HAMILTON, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.

AIR-COMPRESSOR.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 191 4.

Application led March 22, 1913. Serial No. 756,221.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that We, GLENN N. WILKIN- soN and FRED M.'HAMn.roN, citizens of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michlgan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to mechanism for compressing air and gases, and it more particularly relates to devices for the purpose whereby poppet and other valve apparatus ordinarily employed in such devlces will be eliminated.

The invention in the main contemplates the use of a cylinder or cylinders in each of Which is a piston having a reduced concentric central portion that Works in an openended chambered portion of the cylinderhead, the Walls of the chamber forming a partition between the pistons and separating the cylinder into' two compartments, the outer chamber forming a vacuum and compressing chamber, the inner chamber a suction or induction passage.

The main object of our invention is to provide a compressor `that will dispense with poppet and other valve mechanism, springs and delicate coad]utant apparatus.

A further object is` to provide a compressor that will be simple, compact, economical to manufacture and thoroughly effectual.

An apparatus constituting an effective and preferred form of the features of our invention an'd modifications thereof 1s shown in the accompanying drawings Which form a part of this specification, 1n which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section antecedent to a suction stroke of the compressor. Fig. 3 1s a vertical longitudinal section subsequent to a suction stroke and antecedent to a compressing stroke of the compressor: Fig. d 1s a sectional pian view in modification showing twin cylinders arranged side by side with pistons operated alternately by a rotary shaft carrying double cranks. Fig. 5 1 s a vertical longitudinal section in modification, embodying a structure of but one cylinder.

Like marks of reference refer vto equivalent parts throughout the different views in Which A represents a base; B, the initial induction and compressing cylinder; C, the aux- 1l1ary 'compressing cylinder: D, a rotary drive shaft; E, the crank or disk for giving reciprocating motion to the cylinder pistons; F, the drive wheel.

In Figs. 2 and 3 thev cylinders B and C are arranged in the same axial alnement and separated by a central chamber 1 Within which the driving crank E operates, the a lsame being driven by the shaft D journaled Within suitable bearings transverse to the axis of said cylinders, as shown.

l/Vithin the bottoni of the crank chamber some suitable pocket, as 2, is provided, within which a lubricant is placed for the purpose of oiling the crank pin 3 to which the connecting rods 4 and 5 for reciprocating the pistons 6 and 7 of the respective cylinders are attached, and also for lubricating 7 the cylinder bores in close proximity thereto.

Both the cylinders aforesaid are jacketed or provided with a surrounding compartment 8 Within which Water is circulated by the pipes 9 and 10 to reduce the heat derived g from compression in the cylinders.

Where two cylinders are arranged to operate in conjunction, the one to receive the products from the other to further reduce the compression, the induction or initial cylinder, as B, is somewhat larger than its coacting cylinder C. The induction cylinder B is bored with a uniform diameter and is fitted with a piston 6, entirely closing the end to which the operating mechanism is attached. This piston, as Well as the piston 7, is of double concentric form, the outer barrel portion thereof being fitted near'either .end .with rings in the usual manner to render the same hermetically tight, a reduced concentric portion 10 being fitted also with rings near the free end thereof and adapted to operate within an open-ended chamber 11 formed by an internally extending barrel 1Q of the cylinder head 13.

As Will be obvious, the concentricallyarranged pistons telescope with the barrel l2 when the former are reciprocated. In fitting the barrel 12, a small surrounding open space is provided between the same and the inner surface of the surrounding outer Wall of the piston to permit the passage of air or gases to flow from the chamber m within the cylinder to the chamber e formed within the piston. 1

An intake port 14 is provided near the inner end of the barrel 12 coincident to the end of the concentric central pist-on 10 when at backward stroke, as will be bet-ter eolnprehended in Figs. 3 and 4, and an exhaust or eduction port 15 is formed in the outer shell of the piston to the rear end thereof and ope-ns -into the annular chamber formed between the concentric pistons. r[lhe port 15 registers with a passage 1G when the piston (i is at forward stroke, as shown in Fig. 2, the lattei` passage of which communicates directly with the cylinder C where it enters the same through the head 17 central to said cylinder and directly into the chamber 11 of this cylinder. The arrangement of the ports in bot-h cylinders is substantially alike, but by the reciprocation of the pistons in the two cylinders a corresponding port of one cylinder is open when the other is closed, as shown in Figs. 9., 3 and 4.

In the drawings the winged arrows indicate the rotary movement of the driving shaft and the plain arrows the How of air or gases.

In operation, assuming the pistons of the respective cylinders to be in the position shown in Fig. 3, air will enter the chamberw and flow into the chamber .e and as the piston is advanced, as shown in Fig. 2, compression is made wit-hin t-he aforesaid chamber and when the piston has reached the end of its stroke the air or gases thus compressed will escape through the port 15 and passage 1G and enter the chamber 11 of the cylinder C and also enter the chambers m and .a of said cylinder through the port 15 thereof. On a return stroke of the piston 6, when the 'same has receded sufficiently to close the ort 15 of the cylinder B, a vacuum will form in the chambers and a thereof and a compression in the chambers m and z of the cylinder C and a slight compression in the passage 16. A further .continuation of the stroke will cause the port 15 of the piston 7 to register with the outlet pipe 18 and the compressed air or gases to escape into a retort or otherwise, as the occasion may require, at which time the port 14 of the cylinder 12 will, through both atmospheric pressure and reduced suction caused by the vacuum aforesaid, accelerate the inflow of air or gases into the chambers m and z of the cylinder B.

In the mechanism as set forth, the parts are simple and heavy and but few moving parts are employed, and all semblance of springs, valves and stuiing boxes are dispensed wi-th; large cooling surfaces are provided and high speed may be resorted to vwith a minimum of power.

In th-e modified form shown in Fig. 4, the cylinders are arranged side by side on a common axial plane and operated by a rotary shaft having cranks arranged diametrically opposite that the respective pistons -may be coincidentally operated in opposite directions.

.ln the modified form shown in Fig. 5 but one cylinder is shown, the same being nearly identical with the cylinder heretofore described and explained as the cylinder B in Figs. 2 and 3. A further modified form would beto arrange the bores of the cylinders B and C in co-jointly and in axial alinea entand form the pistons for the two cylinders intact, the same to be operated by a steam cylinder having a piston rod that is a reduced extension of the central piston of the initial cylinder, as B, similar to the piston in Fig. 5, and we' reserve the right to arrange and construct the various operative elements in our improved compressor in any manner consistent within the spirit of our invention and without waiving our rights thereto'.

Having thus described ourinvention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In an air compressor comprising two concentric pistons and cylinders, the outer cylinder having an exhaust port controlled by the outer piston, thc inner cylinder being open at one end to atmospheric pressure and having at the opposite end a port leading into the outer cylinder and controlled by the inner piston, the pistons of both cylinders operating in unison.

2. In an air compressor comprising tw cylinders and pistons, the outer cylinder ,f having an exhaust port controlled by the outer piston, the inner cylinder open at one end to atmospheric pressure and having at the opposite end a ort leading into the outer cylinder, the exlliaust port of the outer cylinder being closed by a receding motion of the outer piston andthe port leading into the outer cylinder from the inner cylinder being closed by a forward motion of the inner piston, the pistons of both cylinders operating in unison.

3. In an air compressor, a cylinder having two concentric compartments, the outer of which is closed at one end the inner of which is open at both ends, a piston having an outer barrel with one closed head provided with a uniform concentric stem, the barrel operating in the outer compartment the stem operating in the inner compartment of said cylinder, said outer compartment having an exhaust port andan intake port, the former being controlled by the barrel piston the latter by the concentric stem. i

4. In an air compressor comprising a cylinder open at one end, the opposite end having a head provided with a central openended barrel extending within said cylinder and concentric therewith, a piston comprising a barrel closed at one end and having a central imperforate portion, the barrel adapted to operate in the outer cylinder, the iinperforate portion operating in the openended barrel of said head, said outer cylinder having an exhaust port and an intake port, the former being controlled by the outer piston and the latter by the inner piston.

5. In an air compressor, a cylinder separated into two concentric chambers, the outer chamber being closed at one end and the inner chamber being open at both ends, a concentric piston comprising a barrel closed at o-ne end and having a concentric mperforate portion, the former closing the opening of the outer chamber but leaving an annular open passage about the circumference of the inner chamber, said imperforate 'portion closing one end of said inner chamber, and an exhaust port opening through the wall of the outer chamber, and an intake port opening through the wall of the inner chamber, the former being controlled by the outer of said pistons, the latter by the inner of said pistons.

6. In an air compressor, a set of cylinders formed by a conceIrt-rically-disposed Wall open at both ends and closing one head of the outer cylinder, concentrically-disposed pistons integrally'formed at one end to move simultaneously an outer piston closing the open end of the outer cylinder but leaving an annular open passage about the wall of the inner cylinder, the inner piston forming a uniform imperforate closure for the free end of the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder having an exhaust port and an intake port, the outer piston having an eX- haust port, the innery cylinder having an intake port, said intake port of the outer cylinder opening into the inner cylinder, the exhaust ports of the aforesaid cylinder and piston being coincident when the two pistons are at the end of their forward stroke, the intake port of the outer cylinder being closed at all times except when the two pistons are at backward stroke.

7 In an air compressor, in combination two or more sets of cylinders, each set comprising tw'o cylinders separated by a concentrically-disposed wall, the two being open at one end, the inner open at both ends, and having their pistons integrally formed to move simultaneously, an intake port and an exhaust port, the former being controlled by the inner piston the latter by the outer piston, one set of said cylinders being smaller than an opposite set, the exhaust port of the larger of said cylinders communicating with the intake port of the inner one of the opposite set of cylinders, the pistons of two sets of cylinders moving simultaneously and in such manner that corresponding ports of two sets of cylinders will be alternately opened and closed.

GLENN N WILKINSON. FRED M. HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

H. F. WINGATE. F. H. WINGATE. 

